Hour 3

Dealing with multiple cloud backup services, using technology to assist with disabilities, downloading Google Play Store apps onto an Amazon Fire Tablet, where to find a MacBook that still has function keys, what TV to buy, using older applications with macOS High Sierra, and more of your calls.

Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

James is a military vet who is disabled. Most of it is dealing with PTSD and brain damage. He wants to know what technology will help him in daily life, especially when it comes with memory. Leo says that computer technology can keep his access to the world alive, and it can be used with assistive situations that life requires. The Amazon Echo and Google Home, for instance, can help the blind.

Paula was trying to backup her desktop with Carbonite, and now she's finding that Dell and Microsoft OneDrive are overlaying their own versions of backup, fighting for her attention. How can she disable those? Leo says she can disable Dell Backup in the system tray. That's pretty simple. But it will probably restart when she turns the computer back on. So she'll have to remove it from the startup options. Leo says having both local and off site backup is a wise idea. She'll want three copies of everything at all times. As for OneDrive, it's very good, but she'll have to pay for it. She can probably turn off the overlays, but she won't be able to remove it.

(Disclaimer: Carbonite is a sponsor)

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Manny has a 2013 MacBook Pro but he needs to upgrade and he's annoyed that Apple has removed the function keys in favor of the Touch Bar. Leo says that there is a 2017 MacBook Pro model that comes with the last batch of function keys. But this year, they aren't making them anymore. So it looks like the time for function keys is now over. Leo says that the speed of the i9 has made it worth it, though. The keyboard has also been improved thanks to a silicone dampener. The Touch Bar isn't really a bad idea, but hardly any apps support it. Leo recommends the utility Better Touch Tool. It makes it usable. But he should be sure he can live with the keyboard before he buys. And the i9 really isn't needed for most people. It's way too expensive. For most apps, he can get by with the i5 or i7.

Ben got a new UVerse modem and an Eero Mesh Router and it was working fine until last week. Now he's having issues with the router, where it drops off the network again and again. Leo says that the UVerse modem is likely a router-modem combo, and he'll need to put the router into bridge mode. And in order for the mesh router to use its advanced features, it needs to be the main router.

Leo suspects that the UVerse combo is crashing the connection and restarting it. Leo says that when he taxes his mesh router really hard, like with a speed test, it can overheat. That could also cause the crash. What Leo recommends is going back to AT&T and asking for a new one.

Pete has an Amazon Fire tablet and he wants to know how he can get Android apps from Google Play. Leo says that Amazon's fire tablets don't come with Google Play — he'll have to use Amazon's own app store. It's possible to install the Play Store on the Fire tablet, but he'll have to turn off "only download settings in the play store" or "don't allow apps from unknown sources" option. It's in "settings and security" in the carousel. Then, once he does that, he can get the Google Play store from the APK Mirror. He'll also need Google Account Manager, Google Services, Google Play Services. Here's the step by step from howtogeek.com.

Once he's done, he can re-enable the "don't allow apps from unknown sources" to stay secure.

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Dan is having an issue where on his MacBook the cursor jumps while he's typing. He can't even write an email. It'll even start a command. Leo suspects it's a problem with the trackpad. He should try cleaning it first. Sometimes "schmutz" can cause phantom touches. The palm rejection software in the OS may have been disabled. The worst case scenario is that the trackpad is failing. Since the laptop is about a year old, he could take it into the Apple Store and have them take a look at it.

Dan is also having issues signing onto websites because of his VPN. Leo says that many sites, like Banks, reject VPN connections. VPN software can typically be disabled for individual websites, so Dan should look in the settings for that. It's safe for secure transactions because it's encrypted, and Google is starting to require all websites be encrypted.

Michael is looking to get a TV and wants to know if he should get 1080p or 4K. Leo says he should definitely get 4K moving forward. But even more importantly, he should get a TV with HDR. It has a much nicer look. Leo's choice is the LG B6 OLED. It comes down to budget though. Michael wants a TV that has no bezels. He wants to hang it on the wall like a painting preferrably an 80" model. Leo says that Vizio has a nice one. Sony has a 77" model. That's close. The Samsung QLED 82" is $4,000.

Foster upgraded to macOS High Sierra and now his Final Cut Pro 7 video editing program won't work. Why is Apple allowed to break people's apps and force them to pay for new versions? Leo says that sometimes when upgrading to a new OS, it has to leave apps behind, especially 32 bit apps. Apple would have done better to warn customers that it could happen. Leo says that most apps can be updated to work again, though, so he should go to his software websites and get the latest version. If it doesn't work after that, then it's been left behind. That's why running Windows is a better option if he uses software that is older. Microsoft has kept legacy apps in the code for users to run older software. But even Microsoft is now leaving older programs behind. It's the only way to keep up with the future.

Tom wants to copy video off of YouTube. Leo says that YouTube is designed for streaming only, and they don't want him to be able to download the video. But he can do it with several YouTube download sites. TubeSock is one. YouTubeMP4.to will do it as well. But once he downloads it to the library computer, he'll need to get a USB drive on it to copy it to. And libraries may have disabled that option.

This Week in Tech News

Fans are upset that actor John Krazinski has sold his YouTube web series Some Good News to CBS after a furious bidding war. Why are they upset? Because Krazinski isn't going to be continuing as the anchor of the popular youtube series. Many fans are now complaining that Krazinski has sold out. But Leo says that Krazinski is a TV and Movie star, and director, with a lot of other commitments on the horizon. But will SGN thrive without him? Leo isn't so sure.

Moving towards a more autonomous computer-oriented news curation, Microsoft this week laid off all their editors and writers for Microsoft News. Leo says that the news site isn't going away, Microsoft is just going to rely on an artificial intelligence algorithm to curate the stories it posts. Leo also adds that both Apple and Google have gone the other way, believing that human curation increases engagement. Leo also says that Facebook is also relying on an algorithm, and its news page is just terrible.

Leo says that while algorithms are good for optimizing your end result, they can get more extreme and just plain weird.

After a rain delay on Wednesday, SpaceX is poised to launch its first manned mission to the International Space Station with DM-2. Leo says that while critics say that money shouldn't be "wasted" on space exploration, Leo disagrees, saying that a tiny fraction of the federal budget goes to NASA and the Commercial Space Program, and the benefits of what we learn far outweigh what we spend, or the risk. And it always has.

Twitter announced this week that their employees can work from home and don't ever have to come back to the office. Leo says that this could be a new emerging trend, where companies allow ther employees to telecommute. The result could also be that people will be able to live where they can afford, rather than living in expensive areas. But it may also mean that companies will pay their employees less if they live in cheaper areas. But companies are also battling for the best talent, by offering amenities. Working from home will be part of that.